After a one-year hiatus, the Washington Brewers Festival returns on June 22 and 23. Tickets are on sale now.
The biggest beer festival in Washington state returns this year with a new kind of vibe and a new location. The Washington Brewers Festival is still the state’s premier beer event, designed to highlight the fabulous work of Washington’s craft beer industry.
The Washington Brewers Festival essential info
- Tickets are now on sale here. There are various options, including VIP packages. Early bird pricing currently applies. The supply of early bird tickets is limited, so get them now.
- VIP gets you into the festival an hour early and grants you access to a VIP lounge. More details here.
- The event location is now Seattle Center (not at Marymoor Park in Redmond). More details about that are below.
- No kids. No pets. This is a 21+ event. Unlike past years, no children are allowed. Drinking-age adults only. No dogs allowed either.
- It is now a two-day event on Saturday and Sunday. There is an afternoon session each day. No evening sessions. June 22 and 23, 2024. See the schedule below.
- As it has in the past, the Washington Brewers Festival will offer food options from a legion of food trucks and vendors. Beyond pretzel necklaces, you are asked to not bring food into the venue. Reusable water bottles are permitted.
- The event will feature live entertainment. The list of acts is still coming together.
- Volunteer opportunities? Sign up here.
- The Washington Brewers Guild, a non-profit organization, now operates the event. In the past, it was operated by the Washington Beer Commission. Yes, there is a big difference.
- Below, I explain the reasoning behind some of the changes to this year’s event.
Event Schedule
Saturday, June 22nd
VIP Hour 12:00pm-1:00pm
Main Event 1:00pm- 5:00pm
Sunday, June 23rd
VIP Hour 12:00pm-1:00pm
Main Event 1:00pm- 5:00pm
Event venue
The Washington Brewers Festival takes place at Seattle Center’s Fisher Pavillion. In fact, it will sprawl out around and above the pavilion onto the South Fountain Lawn and the Fisher Rooftop. It should be lovely. It will not be the same as Marymoor Park, but hosting this event at that park was no longer viable.
Although folks in Redmond and nearby locations might be discouraged by the move, recognize that Seattle Center is a central location and is easier for more people to access. It is also much easier to access using public transportation, which is a major consideration and was always a shortcoming of the previous locations.
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Breweries
Over 70 breweries from across Washington state will pour beer at the Washington Brewers Festival. Below is the initial list. More will be added as the event nears.
- 210 Brewing Co.
- Anacortes Brewery
- Aslan Brewing Co.
- Bale Breaker Brewing Company
- Beardslee Public House
- Big Block Brewing
- Black Raven Brewing
- Bosk Brew Works
- Burke-Gilman Brewing Company
- Chuckanut Brewery
- Crane’s Castle Brewing
- Distant West Brewing
- Dru Bru
- Echoes Brewing Company
- Fair Isle Brewing
- Fast Fashion
- Fierce County Cider
- Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery
- Formula Brewing
- Fremont Brewing
- Gallaghers Where U Brew
- Garden Path Fermentation
- Gasworks Brewing
- Georgetown Brewing Company
- Ghostfish Brewing Company
- Haas Innovations Brewing LLC.
- Halcyon Brewing
- Hellbent Brewing
- Here Today Brewery & Kitchen
- Icicle Brewing Company
- Jellyfish Brewing Company
- Kulshan Brewing Co.
- Ladd & Lass Brewing
- Lake Stevens Brewing Company
- Lantern Brewing
- Larrabee Lager Company
- Lopez Island Brewing Company
- Lumberbeard Brewing
- Mac & Jacks Brewery Inc
- Matchless Brewing
- Metier Brewing Company
- No Boat Brewing Company
- Outer Planet Brewing
- Peace of Mind Brewing
- Perihelion Brewery
- Pike Brewing
- Postdoc Brewing
- Powerhouse Restaurant and Brewery
- Ravenna Brewing Co
- Republic of Cider
- Reuben’s Brews
- Riverport Brewing Co.
- Rooftop Brewing Co
- San Juan Island Brewing Co.
- Seattle Cider Co
- Silver City Brewery
- Single Hill Brewing Company
- Skookum Brewery
- Stoup Brewing
- Talking Cedar
- Terramar Brewstillery
- The Heavy Metal Brewing Co.
- Thorntail Hard Agave
- Trap Door Brewing
- Urban Family Brewing
- Vice Beer
- Watts Brewing Company
- Well 80 Brewing Co
- Woodinville Ciderworks
Why the changes?
As mentioned, the event is now operated by the Washington Brewers Guild, a 501 (c) 6 non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing the common interests of Washington craft brewers through legislative advocacy and brewer community building. Proceeds from the event will now benefit that organization and help strengthen the state’s craft beer industry.
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The festival’s previous operator was the now-defunct Washington Beer Commission, a commodity commission that was part of the Washington State Department of Agriculture. As a state agency, the Commission enjoyed some advantages. One of those advantages involved insurance. Commission events were, essentially, underwritten by the State of Washington. Anyone who has organized large events that require insurance will appreciate the value of cost-free insurance. Since the Commission no longer runs the event, insuring the event is no longer free.
Insuring a beer festival is a huge expense. Insuring a beer festival that is also a children’s carnival is an even greater expense. Beyond the fact that Seattle’s municipal codes do not allow children at an event like this, prohibiting kids at the event greatly eases the minds of the insurance company. Also, it eases the minds of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
Visit our Events page to learn about other beer-related events.
